What we witnessed was like celestial fireworks—almost two shooting stars per minute. They seem to diverge from a single spot in the sky, called the radiant, located in the constellation Gemini but can be seen all across the sky.

Without its icy accouterments, Saturn would look boring and beige compared to some of the other gas giants. Stretching some 175,000 miles across, Saturn’s bangles easily outshine the dark, fragmented rings feebly encircling Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune.

The findings indicate that the astronomical insights of ancient people were far greater than previously believed. Their knowledge may have aided navigation of the open seas, with implications for our understanding of prehistoric human migration, researchers said.